Chapter 20

Gu Qingqing, carrying a big bundle, went to get help from the police, while Lin Wanting took off running after the thief.

In the past, she might not have been able to catch up, but now she had plenty of energy, keeping within three meters of him.

“Stop, thief!” Lin Wanting shouted angrily, but none of the nearby passersby stepped in to help. She was wearing high heels and ended up kicking one off as she ran.

Jin Chengyu pinpointed the source of the voice and took a shortcut to wait for the thief ahead. He knew this street like the back of his hand from childhood.

When the thief tried to turn into another alley, Jin Chengyu grabbed him by the arm, spun him around, and kicked him to his knees. He then took the handbag back.

While he was doing that, the thief took the opportunity to bolt into another alley. Lin Wanting, still clutching her high heels, arrived moments later. She only recognized her own bag and had already forgotten what the thief looked like.

“Don’t move, that’s my personal property!”

She rushed forward, ready to give him a slap. At that moment, Jin Chengyu was standing with his head down, flipping through the bag, but before her hand could land, he raised his head and caught her slender arm.

Lin Wanting was stunned. “You look perfectly respectable, so why are you doing sneaky, underhanded things? My friend has already called the police, so just wait and explain yourself to them!”

Jin Chengyu had helped her catch the thief but was now being mistaken for one himself. He couldn’t understand it—he thought he radiated honesty; how could he possibly look like a thief?

“Miss, could you look more carefully? I caught the thief for you. Just check whether anything is missing, and you’ll see. Honestly, your IQ doesn’t match your looks.”

Mentioning her looks touched Lin Wanting’s nerve. Furious, she gripped his sleeve and refused to let go.

“You can explain yourself to the police. From now on, you’re not getting away!”

She was anxious—Gu Qingqing had gone for the police ages ago, and here she was still holding her newly bought clothes. What if she lost them too?

Jin Chengyu shook her off, annoyed at how stubborn she was. Hadn’t he made himself clear?

Lin Wanting took the opportunity to check her wallet. Thankfully, nothing was missing—just some pocket money and jewelry, nothing truly important.

Realizing he wasn’t the thief, she felt a little regret over her earlier words but didn’t bother apologizing.

“You can go now.”

Jin Chengyu didn’t understand—how could her attitude change so quickly? It only made him more curious. She clearly didn’t play by the usual rules.

“I’m waiting for the police.”

They were clearly on different wavelengths. Lin Wanting shot him a glare and walked toward where Gu Qingqing had gone.

Jin Chengyu, on his way home, would pass this street anyway. He wanted to walk it himself—it held so many beautiful childhood memories for him. This street had been a safe harbor in his life, one he would always remember.

Lin Wanting jogged a few steps, then turned back every few paces to find Jin Chengyu still following her.

“Hey! Stop following me!” she called back haughtily.

“Did your family buy this street? What’s with the attitude?”

“You guessed right—my dad’s rented this whole area. It is my family’s.”

That only made Jin Chengyu more curious—just who was this woman?

After speaking, Lin Wanting realized she had revealed too much. But this was also the first time she’d really gotten a good look at his face.

Since Wang Xing was also good-looking, she thought it was normal that Jin Chengyu was handsome—unlike Gu Qingqing, who thought every man she saw was attractive.

Meanwhile, Gu Qingqing had failed to find any police and returned to the scene. Seeing that the young lady had gotten her bag back, she felt a wave of relief. After all, the bag had been snatched from her hands. If she couldn’t get it back, she’d lose not only the promised double pay but probably her whole month’s salary to compensation.

“Miss, thank goodness you’re back—I was so worried!”

“And the police? What did they say?”

“Miss, I couldn’t find them. I was worried something might happen to you, so I came back!”

Just then, Jin Chengyu appeared behind them. Gu Qingqing, standing at an angle with her back partly turned, didn’t notice him yet. Lin Wanting glanced over, wondering where he had gone.

Jin Chengyu hadn’t meant to look ahead but caught sight of the woman who had gone on a blind date in someone else’s place—Gu Qingqing.

He deliberately walked closer to confirm it. Sure enough, what a small world.

When he was just about to pass by, Lin Wanting spoke up: “Qingqing, check if anything’s missing.”

“No, Miss, nothing’s missing. That really scared me!”

Jin Chengyu instantly understood the situation.

So it turned out his blind date had been with the maid. When he’d looked into Lin Wanting’s eyes earlier, he’d already sensed she was unusual—her background clearly matched her demeanor. He’d even heard rumors about her before.

“Ahem…”

Jin Chengyu deliberately stepped into Qingqing’s line of sight. “Well, if it isn’t Miss Lin herself? How did you end up working as someone’s maid?”

Lin Wanting didn’t catch on immediately. Qingqing froze—busted. Since childhood, she’d had this weird quirk: if she did something bad, she’d be caught right away and punished.

“Yes, I’m—” Qingqing started to say, blinking hard at Lin Wanting, her voice growing softer and softer.

Lin Wanting still didn’t get it. “Qingqing, what’s wrong with you? He’s a suspected thief!”

“You… go buy me something, quick!” Qingqing wished she could whisper in her ear that this was her blind date and she was about to be exposed.

Lin Wanting laughed. “Oh? Getting bold, are you? Even I, the young lady, haven’t said anything yet!”

“Oh? You’re the famous Miss Lin? I’m Jin Chengyu.”

The moment he said his name, Lin Wanting froze, blinking rapidly.

“You’re joking, right? She is—I’m Qingqing.”

“Don’t pretend. You’re Lin Wanting. Why send your maid to stand in for you? That’s disrespectful. And just so you know, even if you had come, I might not have liked you.”

Lin Wanting dropped the act. “Fine, I am Lin Wanting. Perfect—we’re in agreement then. Goodbye forever.”

She strode off in her high heels while Jin Chengyu stood watching for a moment.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I was so embarrassed!”

Lin Wanting felt she had really lost face just now. Gu Qingqing explained, “Miss, I gave you so many hints, but you still said that! He must be feeling wronged and in need of comfort too!”

“You silly thing… forget it. He would’ve found out sooner or later. And you all say he’s so handsome—honestly, I think he’s just average.”

Gu Qingqing gave her a thumbs-up. “As expected, Miss, you’ve seen the world.”

Sometimes Gu Qingqing’s blind admiration only made Lin Wanting more smug.

Back at home, Lin Wanting thought back to that first moment she saw him—she had to admit, her eyes did light up.